News & Neuigkeiten » Monday.Cubs: LF Jorge Soler depart

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Malcolm Hill made sure Illinois didnt step off the gas pedal Friday night so that the Illini could took care of business against Detroit Mercy, 89-69.The senior, who scored 25 points, led his team to a quick start after the intermission, when his team was up 39-30 and it seemed like the Titans would close the gap even more.Im always in an aggressive attack more, but this was one of those games where I needed to start strong in the second half, Hill said.Illinois (4-0) continued its strong start to the season in the opening game of the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament.The Illini had little trouble scoring, shooting 27of 52 from the field and 8 of 19 from 3-point range. Friday marked the second straight game the Illini had difficulty shooting from the free throw line however, finishing 27of 38.Tracy Abrams continued to have a strong return to basketball, scoring 15 points and finishing with four rebounds, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range.Groce knows the importance a balanced offense can have on his team.If you can have a balance of paint touches with that outside shooting, it puts opponents in dilemmas, Groce said.Detroit Mercy (1-2) had trouble keeping up with Illinois fast offensive pace from the start of the game. The Titans never led.Josh McFolley and Jaleel Hogan both led the way with 16 points for a team that finished shooting 43 percent from the field and 24 percent from beyond the arc.The Titans fell behind in most categories against the Illini, but Detroit Mercy head coach Bacari Alexander felt Illinois won the game down in the post, where the Illini won the rebound battle 39-29.They took advantage of those opportunities (in the post), Alexander said. (But) I like the direction this team is going in.BIG PICTUREIllinois: The Illini have played as they should against the type of opponents theyve faced so far this year. The team has one game left against relatively easy competition before facing No. 19 West Virginia at the Barclays Center in New York.Detroit Mercy: Although the game was never really close after the first few minutes, the Titans found some scoring opportunities and will need to continue to do that in the rest of the tournament.ROLE PLAYERGroce thought bench player D.J. Williams had his best overall performance of the year. The sophomore wing scored six points.LETDOWNAfter a strong start to the season, center Maverick Morgan had his worst night of the season, finishing with six points and zero rebounds and fouling out with more than five minutes left in the game.UP NEXTIllinois will continue play in the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament when it hosts Winthrop in Champaign on Monday.Detroit Mercy will try to bounce back Monday when it travels to Florida State to play its second game in the NIT Season Tip-Off.---More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.orgAir Force 1 Discount . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. Air Force 1 China . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. https://www.cheapairforce1outlet.com/ . Hargreaves began his career in 2008 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has played with the Edmonton Eskimos and last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Air Force 1 Cheap . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. Air Force 1 On Sale . One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.CHICAGO -- First, Milwaukee lost outfielders Keon Broxton and Kirk Nieuwenhuis to injuries. Then the Brewers blew a late lead and lost on a game-ending homer, kicking off a big party for the Chicago Cubs.It was another rough day in a long season.Ryan Braun, Orlando Arcia and Scooter Gennett homered for Milwaukee on Friday, but the Cubs got to Carlos Torres for two runs in the ninth and celebrated their NL Central title with a 5-4 win on Miguel Monteros seventh homer in the 10th inning.Carlos had a bad day, manager Craig Counsell said. Hes had a lot of good days. Today just wasnt his day.Broxton slammed into the wall in left center while tracking down Tommy La Stellas drive in the third inning, breaking his right wrist. He was replaced by Nieuwenhuis, who left in the seventh inning with an abdominal strain.Its very disappointing, Broxton said. I wanted to finish out the season, keep working, keep getting comfortable and keep getting more experience. Its a tough loss right now, but Ill come back strong.The Cubs became the first major league team to clinch their division when St. Louis lost at San Francisco late Thursday night. They had a chance to wrap it up in front of their delirious fans at Wrigley Field earlier Thursday, but Gennetts tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh lifted Milwaukee to a 5-4 win.Gennett almost ruined the party again, giving the Brewers a 4-2 lead with a two-run drive in the seventh for his 13th homer. But Chris Coghlan and pinch-hitter Addison Russell each had an RBI single in the ninth for Chicago, and Montero connected for a leadoff drive in the 10th against Blaine Boyer (2-4).It all worked out pretty good, a grinning Montero said.Chase Anderson pitched six solid innings for Milwaukee (66-82), allowing two runs and five hits. The right-hander is 1-0 with a 1.08 ERA in tthree September starts.ddddddddddddBut Andersons thoughts were with Broxton after the game.Its terrible. When a guy makes a play like that behind you -- he plays the game with such intensity -- runs into the wall and breaks his wrist, its super unfortunate, Anderson said. I guess the good thing is were close to the end of the season. Hes had almost a whole season and hell be ready for spring training. Keon is a great player and it stinks for him because he was getting hot.Coghlan had three hits for Chicago, and Albert Almora Jr. hit a two-run homer. Aroldis Chapman (4-1) struck out the side in the 10th for his first win with the Cubs.Just got to keep pushing, Russell said. This is only the beginning.RESTINGBrewers infielder Jonathan Villar was out of the starting lineup. He struck out swinging as a pinch hitter in the ninth.Villar is batting .129 (4 for 31) with 11 strikeouts in his last nine games.TRAINERS ROOMBrewers: Nieuwenhuis will be evaluated again on Monday.Cubs: LF Jorge Soler departed after three innings due to tightness on his right side. Soler grounded into a double play in the first in his only at-bat. It was unclear when the injury occurred. ... C Contreras was shaken up after he was hit in the groin by a Braun foul ball in the first inning. Manager Joe Maddon and a trainer came out to check on him, but he stayed in the game.UP NEXTRHPs Jake Arrieta of the Cubs and Zach Davies of the Brewers face off on Saturday. Arrieta (17-6, 2.91 ERA) is 5-1 with a 3.40 ERA in his last seven starts. Davies (10-7, 3.87 ERA) pitched 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball in a no-decision at St. Louis on Sunday in his last outing.---Follow Jay Cohen at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap ' ' '